MIAMI (AP) — Reigning NBA MVP Joel Embiid will not enjoy in Philadelphia’s Christmas night game against the Miami Heat, with the 76ers ruling him out due to the fact of a sprained proper ankle.
And his former 76ers teammate Jimmy Butler won’t perform possibly, out once more for the Heat with a strained calf.
Embiid did not fly with the Sixers on Sunday to Miami. He got hurt all through Friday’s win about Toronto.
It’ll be the fourth video game Embiid has missed this season for the 76ers, who are third in the Japanese Convention and fourth overall in the NBA, entering Monday with a 20-8 history. He has been on a tear in December, averaging 40.2 points and 12.6 rebounds on 61% shooting in nine appearances so far this month.
For the time, Embiid is averaging a league-most effective 35 factors for each recreation — on tempo proper now to gain his 3rd consecutive scoring title. He’s had at least 30 points and 10 rebounds in every of his very last 13 video games, the NBA’s longest such streak given that 1972 when Kareem Abdul-Jabbar did it in 16 straight contests.
Embiid performed most of Friday’s activity against the Raptors just after hurting the ankle whilst trying to block a shot halfway by the initially quarter. He was scoreless at that issue, experienced 11 details by halftime and scored 20 far more in the second 50 %.
The workforce evaluated Embiid’s status above the weekend and identified that him enjoying Monday would not be wise. It’s probable he could rejoin the team for its recreation Wednesday at Orlando.
Butler had missed Miami’s past two games with a calf strain and did not observe Sunday, nevertheless he was at first was mentioned as questionable for the nationally televised matchup against the 76ers. He was downgraded to out on Monday afternoon.
Embiid’s absence helps make the Warmth-76ers activity the only a person on the NBA’s Christmas quintuple header slate that will not function a past winner of the MVP award. The Milwaukee-New York match provided Bucks ahead Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Denver-Golden State game has Nikola Jokic for the Nuggets and Stephen Curry for the Warriors, the Los Angeles Lakers’ recreation in opposition to Boston has 4-time MVP LeBron James and the Phoenix-Dallas nightcap features Suns ahead Kevin Durant.
The Heat also dominated Josh Richardson out with decreased back again irritation and Haywood Highsmith with a non-COVID sickness. Like Butler, Richardson and Highsmith previously ended up associates of the 76ers. Following Monday, Miami doesn’t engage in again until a Thursday activity at Golden State.
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